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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. H.. SIMPSON, 8v J. T. WILSON.

- OAR GOUPLING No. 275,720.

Patented A r.,1o 1883.

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(No Model.) ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. H. SIMPSON '8; J. T. WILSON. GAR GOUPLING.

No. 275,720. Patented Apr. 10,1883.

J2 I n vi I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

JAMES H. SIMPSON AND JOHN T. WILSON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO WILSON, WALKER 86 (30., (LIMITEDQ OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COU-PLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,720, dated April 10, 1883.

' Application filed January 16,1883. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES H. S1MPsoN and JOHN T. WILSON, of Pittsburg,'county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in whichlike letters indicating like parts- 4 Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a plan view, partly in section or broken away, illustrative of our improved car-coupling. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are detail views of separate parts of the coupling; and Figs. 6 and 7, Sheet 2, are perspective views illustrating the coupling in different positions.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in that class of automatic car-couplings in which the coupling connection is effected by the interengagement of hooks pivoted to draw-heads; and, in general terms, it consists in certain combinations of a draw-bar head with two hooks pivoted on opposite sides of the head, and with mechanism for supporting the hooks and securing them as against both pulling and pushing strain when closed for coupling, and for holding them open in position to efiect a coupling as against accidental closing.

It also embraces certain features of construction in the parts of the coupling, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

The object or purpose of our invention is to provide a wrought metal, iron, or steel carcoupling, ofsuch construction in its parts and combinations that'it can be made atcomparatively small cost of manufacture, with a high degree of strength and security as against ac-- cidental uncoupling and accidental or premature closing when set to effect a coupling or connection with another car. a

In the drawings, A represents a wroughtmetal (iron or. steel) draw-bar head, formed by preference to or approximately to the desired shape by stamping-or cutting by suitable dies from a rolled plate or bar] To the rear end of this head are welded or otherwise rigidly secured the straps A, (shown only in part, which on the edge of the plate, back of the born a, 'a surplus of metal is left in stamping, which is subsequently worked or drawn by forging into the raised backs or flanges o which are employed as stops to assist in supporting the coupling-hooks. This work of fitting or finishing the head-plate after stamping, and also of forming the pin or pivot holes therein, may be done by common blacksmiths'in the customary way of doing such work.

On the two side faces of the projecting horn a. of the head are pivoted by a common pin,

E, bent hooks O D, made of iron or steel, by forging with suitably-shapeddies. These hooks are similar in form, consisting of thickened hook ends 0 d and reduced or tapering shank ends or arms 0 (1, such parts or ends being at or nearly at right angles and radial to the angular pin-holes 0 (1 formed in the curve between ends. The hook ends 0 d are thickened by bosses c d on their adjacent inner faces, which are curved at their inner edges, fitting the curved end a of the born a, thus formingshoulder-abutments tostrengthentheplvotconnection to the head, and also affording stops 0 d at the outer angle of such curved shoulders, which engagearaised shoulder, a on the outer edge of horn a, and prevent outward swinging of the hooks beyond a given position say with the book ends 0 cl approximately in the longitudinal line of the coupling. The thickened faces or bosses c d also perform an important function in reducing the space between them below the thickness of the hook ends, thereby preventing the entry of the hook ends into such space when the two parts of a coupling may be held at different heights. Sufficient space is left, however, between the faces 0 d for insertion of the ordinary couplinglink, when desired, which link may be secured square, shank ends 6 e, which are fitted tightly in corresponding holes or mortises c d in the hooks. If desired, the shanks-c may be extended somewhat out of the hook-surfaces, and be headed or upset upon the hooks, binding them firmly upon the shoulders between the angular and round portions of the pin, whereby the parts will be securely bound together with freedom of motion of the hooks in unison upon their common pivot in coupling and uncoupling. In these movements the inner faces of the hooks from the shoulders 61 bear upon the flat upper and lower faces of the head A, and when closed for coupling such hearing is continuous through the whole length of thearms cd. Also, in such closed position the ends or arms 0 d are supported, as against a pushing force upon the hook ends 0 d, by the raised back stops or flanges, a formed on the edge of the head-plate, as before described. By extending the back supports forward toward the pivot center they relieve both the arms 0 d and the pin E from pushing strain, which, coming as heavy blows, might otherwise bend or break them.

In order to lock or hold the hooks in closed position, we make use of bell-crank levers I I, which are pivoted at or near their angle to opposite sides of the draw-head by acommon pin, i These levers may be secured upon the ends of the pin by heading or upsetting such ends, leaving the levers free, however, to move on their common pivot. The pivot t is by preference in a line at right angles to the rearward-extending arms 0 d of the hooks, when the hooks are closed, as represented in Fig. 1, and the length of the transverse arms 17 ot' the levers is such as to hold the ends of the arms 0 d closely between their stop ends 27 and the back stops, a These stop ends i conform by preference to the adjacent face or edge of the arms 0 d, in order to secure a full and firm bearing. By making the arms i i and c (1 at or approximately at right angles to each other, the strain imposed upon the arms i in pulling upon the coupling-hooks will be a thrust in the direction of their length, which will be taken and sustained by the pivot-pin i and with this in view the pin should be made strong and of considerable size.

In uncoupling, the stop ends 0f the arms i are drawn backward, free from or out of engagement with the arms 0 (1, by a lateral pull upon the arms i; and in order that both locking-levers I Imaybe moved simultaneously by one pull-rod a cross tie or bar, a, is connected to both arms by welding, as illustrated in Fig. 2, or by bolting, riveting, or other convenient way of making a strong rigid connection, and from the center of this cross-bar a pull rod or chain, N, is passed to a convenient point on the car-body for uncoupling-say to the side. Such pull-rod N has bypreferenceaflexible connection with the endof a stem,R, which passes through the center of the cross-bar, being connected therewith by collars r, or equivalent nuts or pins on opposite sides of the bar, and from the cross-bar the stem passes through a hole, 8, into a chamber, S, formed transversely in the rear end of head A.

A collar, 8, is secured on the inner end of the stem, and a spring, 8 is seated within the chamber between its inner end, 8, and the collar s. This spring, acting through the stem R, moves the lower arms i into locking position when its action is not overbalanced by a pulling force on rod N, or by the pressure of the ends of the arms 0 (1 in opening and closmg.

In Fig. 7 we have illustrated the hook-arms in a partially-closed position, with their ends bearing upon the lever-arms 1'. In moving from this position to that shown in Fig. 6 the lever-arms will be pressed back, so as to permit the hook-arms to pass; but on passing or on reaching the positions shown in Fig. 6 the spring 8 will throw the arms i in front of the hook-arms, and thereby lock them securely as against pulling strain upon the hooks. This locking movement may be imparted to the levers by a spring or springs arranged and se cured in other ways than that shown without departing from our invention-for example, by an elliptic or by a strap spring secured to the draw-bar, and arranged to bear against the outer face of bar nor armst",or bya coiled or plate spring seated between the end of strap A and the rear edge of arm 6 on one or both sides. \Ve prefer, however, the arrangement and construction shown, as the spring is covered and protected from injury. When coupled the hooks of the two engaging parts are held in place by the horns a of the draw-heads, (see Fig. 1,) the usual provision being made in shaping the recess A and the hook ends 0 (I for play or freedom of adjustment of theinterlocking hooks within the recesses with reference to the varying movements of the connected cars on the track.

In order to hold the coupling-hooks open in coupling position, a curved spring, a, is secured by rivets or in other convenient way to the front edge of one or both of the lever-arms i and passed forward along the arm a of the head in position to be pressed by the ends of the hook-arms at or near the beginning of their closing movement, whereby such movement will be resisted by a yielding pressure of sutficient force to prevent accidental closing of the hooks, but by yielding to a superior force such as is usually employed in coupling cars will permit the hooks to pass and close, as before described. We do not, however, claim herein, broadly, the combination of the two hooks pivoted to the draw-head with a spring or springs for holding the hooks open, as the same is included in the subject-matter of a separate application for patent filed even date herewith, Serial No. 82,070.

By the features of improvement in the class of couplings herein described we are enabled to produce an automatic coupling, of wrought independent or separate stop devices.

metal, durable andwell adapted. for use in either freight or passenger equipment.

Owingto the plain forms of the several parts and the facility with which they may be produced and put together, our improved coupling's can be built at much less expense than those of the same class now in common use, made principally of malleable cast metal.

The elements of strength and economy secured by the use of wrought metal, as above described, are of special importance in couplings designed for use on freight-cars, where cheapness' of construction is essential and great strength isof prime importance, in order to meet the requirements of the rough usage to which such cars are subjected.

The plain head A, combined with the two hooks pivoted to opposite side faces of the head by a common pin, afl'ords both cheapness of construction and increased strength, as each book forms practically a coupling with another of like kind on the othercar, each beingheld as against both pulling and pushing forces by Also, by making the hooks of wrought metal with continuousfiber running through the length, a higher degree ofstrength is secured for a given weight of metal than with cast metal; Also, the full face bearing of the hooks combined with the extended back stops, at, and shoulders 0 d thetwo hooks being rigidly connected, so as to move in unison, afiords great strength of support for each hook separately and for both combined as against both the longitudinal and transverse strains imposed upon couplings in practical use.

We claim herein as our invention---- 1. The draw-head A,.having back stops, a extending therefrom above ,theplanes of its opposite side faces, in combination with two hooks, G D, pivoted to the opposite side faces of the head, such books having rearward-extending arms 0 d, and levers I, pivoted to the opposite side faces of the head, and movable on their pivots into and out of the path of the arms a d in front of their closed position, substantially as set forth.

2. The draw-head A,'having raised'stops a and projection a, with rounded. end a, in combination. with bent hooks G D, having thickened hook ends with curved shoulders c d and rearward-extending ends 0 d, pivot'pin E, rigidly connecting both hooks on opposite sides of the head, and pivoted levers I, substantiall y as set'forth.

3. The conibinationof draw-head A, pivotpin E, having round center 0 and angular ends 0, and hooks O D, having angular holes 0 d fitted and secured to the ends of the pin on opposite sides of the head, substantially as set forth.

' 4. The combination of draw-head A, two hooks, G D, pivoted to the opposite side faces of thehead, and having rearward-extending arms 0 d thereon, two levers, I, pivoted to the opposite side faces of the head in front of the arms 0 cl, and means, substantially as described, for moving the ends of both levers crank levers, I, rigidly connected and pivoted oneither side of the head, and a spring for moving the ends of the levers into locking position in front of the arms 0 61, substantially as set forth.

6. The draw head A, having transverse chamber S therein, in combination with two pivoted books, 0 D, having extended arms 0 (1, such hooks being pivoted on opposite sides of the head, two bell-crank levers, I, pivoted on opposite sides of the head in front of the arms a d in the closed position of the hooks, stem R, connected to the levers I and passing into chamber S, and spring 8 substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of draw-head A, pivoted couplinghooks G D, having extended arms a d, pivoted stop-levers I, and a spring, u, secured to one of the levers, and extended into the path of one of the hook-arms in its coup- 

